i liked the god & the gumiho, but i LOVED the god & the gwisin. this book was painfully heartfelt and genuinely funny. truly everything i could ever ask for in a fantasy romance.

Part of me wants to admit this just might be better than The God and the Gumiho, and yet a larger part of me won’t because I can’t do our girl Hani like that.

While Gumiho was utterly charming to me for its k-drama vibes, grumpy, heart-hungry (no pun intended) fallen gods and mischievous fox demons, this second installment hit me in ways I wasn’t expecting. I loved the journey Seokga and Hani went on in Gumiho and I was gutted at their ending. I thought their overall story was far more entertaining and exciting, and was nervous when I read this sequel would take place entirely aboard a ship—nothing else can be quite so limiting to a potential plot.

So imagine my surprise when I found myself—within the first few pages—alternately laughing out loud, gasping, and even welling up! My even greater shock at finding myself loving Kisa just as much as I loved Hani, and rooting to see her end up with Seokga happily.

Was the villain utterly predictable? Of course. This isn’t a real murder mystery it’s a dramatized tv show in book format. It’s tongue in cheek the whole way through, until those blindsiding moments when Sophie Kim pops out from behind a corner and throat-punches you with emotion. The humor is on point, the romance adorable, the found family and interwoven forgiveness theme just pitch perfect.

I need ten more books in this series now. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Solid 4.5 stars.

Seogka is looking for Hani and finds Kisa. A very intelligent, kind, gentle person. The opposite of Hani. But he still sees Hani in her. Will he fall in love with Kisa for Kisa? Are things the same?

Unfortunately there’s another murder investigation that needs solved, luckily the duo is back together to figure it out.

The God and the Gumiho has sat on my shelf since July of 2024. I didn’t want to read it until the sequel came out and I’m glad because the ending was crushing. But the God and the Gwinsin was a phenomenal continuation of the story.

This book was so heartbreaking and joyful and exciting I couldn’t put it down! I love the world that Sophie Kim has made and the characters feel like real people. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!


A BIG thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing and of course the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

One of the most unique reads for me in a while. I'm a huge Kim fan and her books continue to surprise. Can not recommend enough

would recommend this to: mythology fans (looking at you, Percy Jackson fans that now have student loan debt), kdrama fans (more-so the first book), new adult romance readers.
added trigger warning: shitty therapist advice... which is the twist in the book.

The book broke my heart numerous times. I was highlighting a lottttt on my kindle. Following the first book, I was a little worried because the first book really swept me off my feet. This did the same, but in a different way. The story was so immersive, and the plot just kept me going. I was so hooked that I just wanted more. I really just loved the characters, and the way the story continued from the end of the first book.

Switching the plot towards the murder mystery and the cruise was very fun, although sometimes I found it quite predictable. There were moments when the pacing of the story was difficult to keep up with. And while the romance was still present, I didn’t feel the same emotional connection to it as I did in the first book.

I really hope we get another book soon in this world, I will be reading that ASAP.

i recently had the pleasure of diving into sophie kim's "the god and the gwisin," the sequel to "the god and the gumiho." this story masterfully intertwines korean mythology with a gripping murder mystery set aboard an underworld cruise ship.

the narrative follows seokga, a trickster god reinstated after saving the mortal world, as he searches for his reincarnated love, hani. his quest leads him to yoo kisa, an exhausted soul working off karmic debt in the afterlife, with no memory of their past connection. together, they must unravel the mystery behind the heavenly emperor's murder before their voyage concludes. kim's storytelling shines, blending romance, fantasy, and suspense seamlessly. the evolving dynamics between seokga and kisa kept me engaged, and the rich mythological backdrop added depth to their journey. this novel is a testament to kim's ability to craft immersive and emotionally resonant tales.

i really enjoyed the mix of korean mythology, mystery, and romance. the way sophie kim weaves these elements together seems to have really drawn me in. i liked the evolving dynamic between seokga and kisa, especially how their past connection added layers to the story. the setting—an underworld cruise ship—also seems like a unique and intriguing backdrop that makes the mystery even more compelling. plus, the emotional depth and immersive world-building kept me hooked.

"the god and the gwisin" is set to be published on june 3, 2025!

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!!

firstly i need to say this cover is GIVING. it is stunning, the colours, the soft artstyle, with Kisa and Seokga reaching for each other is absolutely perfect. (though i have to say the uk cover with them standing back to back and with the red thread of fate is also spectacular...) the artists have done it.

i requested this recently after hearing about the sequel to the God and the Gumiho later than everyone else on the internet, it seems and i was so glad i was approved.

i was apprehensive going into this purely because Hani, the fmc, was dead and there's a new starring girl in this story. i like portrayals of grief and moving on but sometimes it just pains me when it comes to the love interests moving on from their dead partners. but still, Sophie Kim does a wonderful job with this book, not just because Kisa is literally Hani reincarnated but i love how the subject matter was treated.

Kisa is distinctly different from Hani, from her softer personality to even her taste in coffee and chosen profession. there is a lack of the spicy enemies to lovers between Hani/Seokga, but i love the existing dynamic of being threaded soulmates, but she's not her, and she doesn't even know him. portraying Seokga like a lovesick teenager when he first sees Kisa again is very cute, especially when she sees all this as a science experiment with the thread. i live for the whole squashing of her feelings, and Seokga coming to love her as her own person rather than a shadow of Hani. and (spoilers!!) her tethering herself to the heavenly library at the end to be with Seokga forever is the best ending i could have hoped for.

" i love you because for my soul, loving you is like breathing ... i would plunge into hell's river for you... i would face the mad god for you. "

and of course the mystery is very interesting, and i enjoyed it a lot more than the previous book solely because Hwanung and Hwanin are so much involved in this. yes Hwanin as a baby post murder is very funny and cute, and i love Hwanung's teenage rebellion phase. but i loved the main group's antics with Hajun (best boy) and Somi whom i did not expect to make an appearance as they solve Hwanin's murder. the final antagonist was a little obvious since Jang wasn't a part of the central group, but i loved their journey getting there.

with Seokga's mom up and about now, i hope there will be more to the story!!

An incredible follow up to The God and the Gumiho! I loved the underworld river cruise setting and the murder mystery at the heart of the story, paired with the themes of fated mates and reincarnation. I thought the character arcs for Seokga and Kisa were both well done, and the romance well developed as they come to terms with being soulmates while one of them is already dead. Definitely recommend if you like k-dramas and Korean mythology (and fun romance and murder mysteries)!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly? This was just what I needed to get out of a reading slump. This is sheer entertainment mixed with the perfect amount of angst and mystery!

While it initially took me some time to stop missing Hani (her banter and mischievous side was so fun!), I was eventually won over by our scholarly Kisa. I think Sophie handled this development really well, and was able to use the reincarnation twist as a way to delve more into Seokga’s character beautifully. My heart! This trickster god really goes through it after Hani’s death, but it becomes clear how necessary that was to carve a path to his future. I so enjoyed his character development in this!

Everything I enjoyed in the first book was here, but with more impact. Sophie’s comedic timing with dialogue has come such a long way, I was in equal turns laughing and making pained “aww!’s” throughout the entire book. In conclusion, I look forward to whatever she writes next.

Also, if we could PLEASE get a k-drama adaptation of these books, that would be EVERYTHING! This was definitely written for the k-drama lovers (aka: me).

never imagined kopiko would follow me from kdrama to books but here we are…
the god and the gwisin takes place years after the events from the previous book and we follow seokga, who is still searching for hani and learning how to navigate his grief, and kisa(who we learn is actually hani reincarnated), a gwisin working on an underworld vacation cruise ship, on their journey full of mystery, korean mythology and romance.
as much as i loved hani, i found myself relating more to kisa and i loved her dynamic with seokga. i really enjoyed delving into reincarnation and watching seokga and kisa both battle with it in their own ways. seokga's struggle with accepting that kisa doesn't remember him or her past life, and kisa's struggle with finding out who she used to be and trying to resist her feelings.
i loved how delicate their relationship was at first, how seokga respected kisa's boundaries and how he was ready to let her go if that was what she wanted. the red thread of fate being sentient was so creative and funny, i laughed every time it decided to chime in or do something. at first i felt indifferent about somi because of her actions in the first book but i enjoyed her redemption arc.
i could tell what direction the plot was going in and the mystery was predictable but definitely not in a bad way! i had a lot of fun reading this and i loved being back in this world and seeing how seokga and hani’s story plays out after the heartbreaking finale of the first book.
the story wrapped up nicely but the epilogue leaves us with a cliffhanger which may be hinting at book 3! i would also like to note that this book has references to grief, depression and suicide for anyone who may be sensitive to these topics.
～thank you to del rey and netgalley for the arc!

screaming crying throwing up

IT IS JUST GOOD AS ITS 1st BOOK! light reading that you necessary need in your busy time.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC!!!!!!

I don’t how Sophie Kim has done it but this genuinely felt like I was watching a kdrama and I was absolutely hooked. This book felt so easy to read. I was devouring the pages of my arc copy and every time I glanced down at the percentage at the corner of my screen I was shocked at how much I’d read through in each sitting.
It was really great to spend time with familiar characters – Seokga, of course, but also Hwanin and Somi – and also see new sides of them. My heart broke for Seokga. We get an insight into his emotional journey as he searches for Hani, as well as a further look into how he became the person that he is. My heart properly ached learning more about him and now, I’d really just love to wrap a blanket around this poor god.
I also really loved how the mystery in the story didn’t feel as if it was focused on the murder (I still gasped when it happened) but rather the mystery of the characters and how they’ve all ended up in this space, on the flatliner (love that name) at the same time. This was really beautifully coupled with their present emotional journeys and the reveals of each character. I loved seeing this as the forefront of the story and it was really clear that the plot was a vehicle for the characters rather than the other way round.
In a lot of ways, I preferred this second book, The God and the Gwisin to the first! I thought the first was really tightly plotted and the voices were practically springing off the page. The banter was so funny and I loved the characters, but BECAUSE I loved the characters, especially Hani, I felt incredibly stressed about the impending fallout with Seokga finding out that Hani was the Scarlet Fox. My heart couldn’t handle the pain. This book didn’t quite feel like it was leading to the same kind of fallout and whilst I really loved Kisa, I also really missed Hani.
This book felt a lot cozier than the first whilst still retaining some of the much loved aspects, such as the humour and the character dynamics. The stakes were a lot more focused on the personal rather than world-ending stakes like book 1 too. It was a fun read that I absolutely devoured.
Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of The God and The Gwisin to review.

Dear NetGalley and Del Rey, thank you soooooo much for a copy of the arc of The God and the Gwisin 🥹

I was left heartbroken at the end of The God and the Gumiho but this book gave me hope for our two mcs 💞

I just love the tension and angst and pinning proper to K drama and I just savored this book as long as I could.


I loved it so much I feel like I could read anything from this author 🥰

I am hooked on this series. I really enjoyed reading the first book, so when I saw a chance to get this book on NetGalley, I requested it so fast. The plot in this book *chefs kiss*. I didn't want to put it down, but I also didn't want it to end and tried to take my time with it, to savor the story and the characters. This is such a fun series to read with all the lore and development of the characters individually and together. I can't wait to see what comes next from this author!

I loved the first book but this one was had to go through, i couldn't enjoy the character and story but i think its a "its not you its me" moment and that i've outgrown this genre sadly

✨️The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim ✨️

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨️ Review ✨️

The God and the Gwisin is the anticipated sequel to Sophie Kim's The God and the Gumiho, continuing the enthralling blend of Korean mythology, romance, and mystery that captivated readers in the first book of this series.

The narrative follows Seokga, a trickster god who, after a 33-year search, reunites with his reincarnated love, Kisa, aboard a luxury underworld cruise ship.

Together, they must unravel the mystery behind the heavenly emperor's murder, all while navigating the intricate threads of their fated connection. Kim masterfully weaves themes of soulmates and reincarnation, adding emotional depth to the romance and keeping readers invested in the characters' journeys.

The novel's exploration of the red thread of fate and its impact on Seokga and Kisa's relationship has been a particular highlight for me as a reader.

The ending of The God and the Gumiho broke my heart with its impact, and I have been eagerly waiting to see how Sophie Kim would fix it or further break it. One of the highlights in this book just like the first one is Seokga’s character. He’s navigating life with all these new emotions as he misses Hani and is trying to find where the red thread of fate will lead him. This book does still have humor throughout which I loved. Seokga and Kisa’s interactions with each other were sweet, though I don’t think I can ever forget about Hani because she was just THAT girl. Which I think is the point because Kisa and Hani are such opposites, and yet despite that, Seokga is willing to love her for whoever she is nonetheless which is what makes this romance so sweet. The side characters were also amazing and lovable, with past characters making a redeeming come back.

Thank you Del Rey and Netgalley for the eARC!

I really had to take my time with this book and savour it because it was just that good! Coming back to this world was such a treat, and the characters? They’re everything. The tone is a bit different from the first book, but I honestly loved it. Kisa, who’s Hani’s reincarnation, was an amazing main character. She felt unique and really stood out on her own— not just a repeat of Hani. Then there’s Seogka, the softest trickster god you’ll ever meet, and he's absolutely down bad for his soulmate. Their dynamic is adorable.

This series is so underrated, and I honestly wish the author would write more, maybe exploring different characters in this world. There's definitely room to expand, but this book wraps things up nicely too, so I’m satisfied. Would highly recommend it to anyone who loves great characters and a well-built world!

First of all, many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Literally screeched when I was accepted for this one. I LOVED the god and the guhimo (despite bawling my eyes out at the end), so I couldn’t wait to dive back into this amazing world

And fear not the author did it again!! Despite working long days at my job I managed to fly through this one during all the free hours I could find. This entire series just reads like a k-drama on crack, which I’m personally a big fan of. Quick warning note though, there are mentions of suicide & eating disorders, which are handled really well, but make sure to go into it with a healthy mindset <3 the themes did fit the story fairly well though and I found it very refreshing how Sophie Kim managed to use those heavy subjects to shine light onto the cruel treatment k-pop idols often receive from their own companies.

Though I have a bit of a silly reason why i am giving this 4.5 stars instead of the 5 I gave the first book. Don’t get me wrong I loved this one just as much, but I just physically can’t. Warning!! Spoilers for the first book ahead

I really loved Kisa but… she just isn’t Hina 😔 Just like Seokga in the beginning I often found myself comparing the two to each other and just wishing Hina could sort of just magically reappear. My favorite (female) characters will always be the feral girlies, so just like my man Seokga I had to hold back tears whenever she was mentioned.

The ending does hint at another book though (yay) so i’m praying my girlie will make a reappearance <33